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PHYSICS LAB;IE~X;
P;,;ER
;;l::
M;-ENT;.-;:;-N~~"t;'{"")~- ----,
Cotus·10Ns
(CONSERVATION OF MOMENTUM)
LAB RF.PORT
Date:
Nam e:
Partner's Name:
Registration No:
Physics Section: .. Registration No:
't Instructor's Name:

I. PURPOSE:
To analyze the chanp,e in momentum of a system by three methods: elastic collision
against a fixed barrier, ~_lastic collision between two obi·ects and inelastic colHsion.
r ,.
II. T !·IE(JRY .

When two objerts, here we use carts, collid':? and there is no external force acting
u pon them (or, equivalently, when the resultant of external forces is zero), the
vector s um of their momentum, p= mf> , is always conserved. This means that the
to tal m omentum ilfter the collision (;;; +p;) is the same as that before the collision
(ii,+1i~ ):
(6-1)
Or 111 1i\ +lll z Vi = nl1 ·f,; + 1112 v; (6-2)
·w here, res pectively, i\ and and ii;'
ii, are the earls' velocities before the collision, o;
an: their velocities after the collision, and 1111 and 1112 are the carts' masses.
If no extra external force is applied, then the total energy (the sum of the kinetic
energy (KE) and polential energy (U)) is conserved as well. If the objects move
along thr horizontal, the potential energy dors not change and consequently, only
the kineti•: energy. KE :a ½111 1v2 plays a role. ·n1crefore,

(·'\. ) - f'\- K )
L., KE i,cfo1ccolh,i?11> - IL, E •h~rcolli~iu,,s
1 2 1 2 1 ,:; 1 ,2
-1111 1! 1 + - 1111 T/2 = :;· 1111 l/1 + - ml V2 (6-3)
2 2 ~ 2
In othf:r word c, tl)e rntio of tj,e total kinetic energies afle1: collision to that before
CO JI .ISi·On ·IS eq Ua J tO One.· (KE") belorero:1
· ,si'-"".s -- (KE'I oltercolliJlc," · ThEl . conservatio1l• of.. . ..

mech an ical energy is ~atisfied only by perfectly elastic colHsions.

(I KE)aflercollisioru =J (6-4)
(IKE~11re<olluioru
fl. EQUll'MENT
Air trnck and Carts.
)
' 111 _EXI'EJUMEITTAL PROCEDURE

1. The air track will be assembled and leveled by ·the· laboratory l<chni<ian.
Please do not attempt any adjustments of the air track. If you have trouble, ask
the instructor for assistance.

2. Place the glider in motion ·by applying a very small force on the gider in a
direction parallel to the air ~ack. Do not attempt to move the glider i1 the air
supply is not turned on.
;,, Description of the buttons on the timer
. ST ART: it starts the timer manually
STOP: :it stops the timer manually
RESET: it resets the timer before starting a new count
. SELECT: it ailows to see the partial times 6.1
A Elastic collision aga inst a fixed barrier 'd the
.
When one of me objects (the second one) .is a hxe
. d barner,
. we maydcons1 1n thisercase
mass of the first body negligible when compare
we have:
d to that of the secon ·

v; ~ - 11
1

Lhat is, the first body will bounce back with the same b speed.
t 75 cm away from the end of
1,ct to the Si socket, a ou ·
1. Place a sensor, ';,.(?-llfler e d. tance of 125 cm, connected to th~ i
Lhe trnck. Place another sensor at a IS
5
socket (Figure 6·1)

.....--- -:--:.
.. .. . . ..' .. . .. .., .e.
-u- ~~-.·
.·.·. ·.· ·
.. ·
. ..... ....
...... ...... .
1
Apply J v~ry ,m.tll force

. ~ ·1. _ . . . 1 a fixed barrier

Figure ,. . Collision Catt 1thagains
.
cart on it along w1'th a 10 mm foil
Activate the compres,o'. and p'.ace ul~ lo theca,ttoW•~tl""''.d t,ack. the
2. the sensors . GO'e • sh&hl p h , STOP button. Reco,d
be.>~~~~ ,,., " ~ 1 . passed both sensors, push t e
..
:3. After the cart 11as th · tantaneOU!;• velocity (v) and
d 612 Calculate e ins i,,' 1 d
instantaneou
s time 6.'1 an · _ t'.!l Recor
·/61 in cm/s and r - It' I.
. .
the re llO Und coeff1c1ent r , ( ) where v = 6.~
1

d 1 ·n table 6-1. 3
your a a i th ·t and repeat step
4. Change the ma.,cs of e cat

2
( Tab Je 6-1
. .
Mass of car t (g) 6t1 (s) (Cm/S) 1,; (emfs) r ~
6t2 (s) ~I
Ju,I
100
125
150
5. H r== Jthis me ans tha t
..... . . . .. . .. . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . ' .............. .... ........... .. .......... ........ .
6· If r < ] this me ans tha t

B. Elasti~· ~·~;;;~·i·~~. ~~~·~~~· ~~· ~·~~~~· ..................................... ..... ..

1 · Set up the equ ipm ent as sho wn in figtu e 6-2 .
V1 v2 = 0
Sl 52
-
. . .i . r ~;· · · ····
·..· ·... ·· ·..· ···
···...··... .. · · ···
... ..
... . .. :::;;::), .:··
· ··~...:·r~ .. .. .. . i8 .. . . . ...

Fig ure 6-2: Elastic collision - Set up

car t (1112) on it along wii:h a 10 mm foil
2. Acl'i vat e the cump·re ssor and place the
beh -ve cn tne sen sors. Giv e a slig ht pul
se to lhe car t tow ard s the end track.
air on in the line ar air trac k. Ho ld car t (1112) at res t in a des ign ate d
3. Tu rn the
(m1) is in mo tion.
spo t r.2twe e11 !he sen sors unt il I.he car t
h the car t (1111) aga ins t the car t (1112). Rec ord the ins tan taneou s time 6t1 and
4. Pus
/1 12. Cal cu la te the ins tan tan eou s vel
oci ties (v1 and v'2) .
). Record you r dat a in table 6-2.
5. Cal cul ate the veloci ty (v' 1) usi ng Eq. (6-2
and rep eat step s_3_a_n_d_4._ _ _ ___,
6. Chc1ng e the ma sse s of ear ls (m1 and m2)
Tab le 6-2 --,

1//J (g) 1112 (g) 6 11 (s)

-
v1 (cni/s) ll. t2 (s) v'2 (cny s) v'1(crry's) I
100 100 -
.
125
150
100
.. 100 . '4. .. ...
100 125
100 150
7. Js the collis ion ela stic ? Exp lain

3
- II li lt ' carts d
ty pe of colJisio
In cas th
0 not
~•v11

Separate after th
nJy the 11 0
· _e collision th .
V i Afa. e e second cart . rnornentuin is co~ser~ .de-latter is called inelastic. In such .
. ler the I is at rest th e .
co lision th ' e system's
e system's momentu . momentum before the collision is m1
] ,, v -( m1s(1111+m2)v,.
· Setup th ~ 1- m1 +111 )v
e equipm 2 , (6
ent as shown . fi -5)
11_ in g ure 6-3.
• 7 ~=o
- SI
52
~:-:':":~
~
·.·.· ·. ..·.·~ ...
~
... .. ' .
··· ····· ·········
.. · .. · · · • ---• --.... -.. . •.. a) Before ColJjsion
"'2

b) After Collision

Figure 6-3: Elastic collision

2. Turn the air on in the linear air track. Hold cart (1112) at rest in a designated
-'>pot between the sensors until the cart (1111) is in motion.
3 :-'u::;J1 the c;:u·t {rl11) Dgains t the cart (m2). Record the instantaneous time li/J
ar:-.! t ,!.; . Calcul,?te lhe ins tantaneous velocity (vi and v1) where v = !xr/ 1:,.t.
4. Ch:lngc in masses of carts and record y-iur data in table 6-3.
Table 6-3
Before the collision After the collision
m1 m, I11,, V1 imomentu m K;
llt2 (s)
l'J !momentum KJ
(g) (gl (sj (emfs) (g.cm/s) (erg) (cm/s) (g.cny's) (eq~)
100 100
-
us •,100 '
100 j 1so I
1 erg= 1 dyne. l c~t::: 10-5 N_10·2 m = 10·7 J
-·
5. Is the collision elastic? Why?

/' . ,~ n. , {Q\